106 CKATEROPODIDJE. 



Coloration. Upper plumage brown tinged with rufous, the 

 feathers of the crown largely centred with very dark brown, those 

 of the back with very dark shaft-stripes ; upper tail-coverts obso- 

 letely dark-shafted ; tail brown, the shafts darker and all the 

 feathers cross-rayed ; wings brown, the lesser coverts centred 

 darker ; lores grey ; cheeks and ear-coverts plain rufescent ; chin, 

 throat, and breast the same, with dark shaft-stripes increasing in 

 size from the chin downwards ; remainder of lower plumage pale 

 butfy-brown, becoming albescent in the middle of the abdomen. 



Iris bright yellow ; eyelid plumbeous ; bill fleshy yellow, the 

 culmen, nostril, and the tip oi; both mandibles horn-colour ; mouth 

 yellow ; legs plumbeous ; claws pinkish. 



Length about 9'5 ; tail 4-8 ; wing 3-5 ; tarsus 1/3 ; bill from 

 gape 1/1. 



Distribution. This Babbler occurs over a considerable portion of 

 Sind from Sehwan down to the Runn of Cutch. It is also found 

 in the Saharunpur district and thence skirts the plains at the base 

 of the Himalayas as far as Behar, whence it commences to spread 

 over Bengal, extending up the Assam valley, and southwards to 

 Southern Pegu, where it is abundant. 



Habits, fyc. This species is found only in the plains where there 

 are large expanses of heavy grass, and lives in small parties that feed 

 on the ground or climb about in the grass. When one bird flies 

 across the open, the others follow it one by one, skimming near 

 the ground with laboured flight and repeating a monotonous note, 

 which, however, is not unpleasant when heard in the vast lonely 

 plains which this bird frequents. It breeds throughout the rains, 

 or from April to October, or even later, making its nest in a clump 

 of grass and laying three eggs, which measure *88 by '7. 



105. Argya caudata. The Common Babbler. 

 Cossyphus caudatus, Dumfril, Drapiez, Diet. Class. d'Hist. Nat. x, 



p. 219 (1826). 

 Malacocercus huttoni, Blyth. J. A. 8. B. xvi, p. 476 (1847) ; id. Ibis, 



1867, p. 6; Jerd. Ibis, 1872, p. 310. 

 Malacocercus caudatus (Dumerit), Blyth, Cat. p. 141 ; Horsf. $ M. 



Cat. i, p. 223. 

 Chatarrhcea caudata (Dum.\ Jerd. B. I. ii, p. 67 ; Hume, N. fy E. 



p. 274 ; Hume fy Henders. Lah. to Yark. p. 197, pi. ix ; Hume, 



Cat no. 438; Barnes, Birds Bom. p. 181. 

 Crateropus huttoni (BlytJi), Blanf. Ibis, 1874, p. 75 ; id. 8. F. ii, 



p. 329 ; id. E. Pers. i\, p. 203, pi. xiii, fig-. 1 . 



Chatorhea eclipes, Hume, 8. F. v,p. 337 (1877) ; id.. Cat. no. 438 ter. 

 Chatarrhsea huttoni (Blyth), Hume, Cat. no. 438 bis. 

 Argya caudata (Drap.\ Sharpe, Cat. B. M. vii, p. 393; Oates in 



Hume's N. $ E. 2nd ed. i, p. 70. 

 Argya eclipes (Hume}, Sharpe, t. c. p. 394. 

 Argya huttoni (Blyth), Sharpe, t. c. p. 394. 

 Crateropus caudatus (Dum^), Oates, B. B. i, p. 32. 

 The Striated Bush-Babbler, Jerd. ; Dumri, Hind, in the South ; Ifutii, 

 Tarn. ; Hedo and Lailo, Sind ; Chikhil, Hind, in the N. W. P. ; Peng or 

 Chota-penga, Hindi ; Sor in the N.W. ; Chinna sida, Tel. 



